Elastic power transmitting element

ABSTRACT

An elastic power transmitting element comprises at least one disc- or plate-shaped member in which there is cut a spiral slot extending from near the center of the said element towards the periphery thereof, means being provided on the said disc- or plate-shaped member for connection thereof to the driving or driven shaft of a power transmission.

United States Patent 11 1 Portnoy 1451 Sept. 18, 1973 I ELASTIC POWERTRANSMITTING ELEMENT [76] Inventor: Samuel Portnoy, Simtat Beth Habad 9,I-lod Hasharon, Israel [22} Filed: Sept. 7, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 178,164

[52] U.S. Cl 64/27 S, 64/13, 64/27 R, 192/107 R [51] Int. Cl. F1611 3/14[58] Field of Search 64/27 S, 27 B, 27 F, 64/27 R, 11 R, 13 R; 192/107M, 107 R, 55

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,856,050 10/1958 Mathews..192/107R 10/1927 Wood 64/27 R 7/1972 Zierak et al. 64/13 PrimaryExaminer-Charles J. Myhre Assistant Examiner-Randall HealdAttorney-Benjamin J. Barish [57] ABSTRACT An elastic power transmittingelement comprises at least one discor plate-shaped member in which thereis cut a spiral slot extending from near the center of the said elementtowards the periphery thereof, means being provided on the said discorplate-shaped member for connection thereof to the driving or drivenshaft of a power transmission.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Sept. 18, 1973 3,759,066

F161 FIG. 2

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' \NVENTOR Shmuel PORTNOY M HTTORNEY ELASTIC POWER TRANSMITTING ELEMENTThe present invention relates to an elastic power transmitting elementand more particularly to an element which is used in the transmission ofrotatory movement. 1

The new power transmitting coupling of the present invention is capableof cushioning the shock upon transmission of rotary movement from onerotary shaft to the other, and is further capable of accomodatingsubstantial misalignment of the two rotary shafts.

According to the present invention, the elastic power-transmittingcoupling comprises a disc having a slot formed therethrough from oneface to the opposite face, the slot extending in the form of a spiralcontinuously and uniformly increasing in size around the disc startingfrom a point adjacent its center and terminating at a point adjacent itsouter periphery. The disc includes means for fixing same at its centerto a shaft. Such a disc may be coupled or connected to a second shaft toeffect the transmission of rotary movement between the two shafts.Shocks occurring upon the transmission of such rotary movement, such asunder starting conditions, are cushioned by causing the spiral slot todecrease or increase'in width, depending upon the direction of theshock.

According to a further feature, the coupling further includes a plate ofthe same shape as the disc overlying one face thereof and fixed to itsouter periphery. .Such a coupling is particularly useful, as willbedescribed-below, as one element of a friction clutch, the otherelement comprising a second disc and means for fixing same to the othershaft being coupled to the first one. At least one of the discs wouldinclude friction material for effecting the friction coupling betweenthem.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the couplingincludes a second disc and means for fixing same to the other shaft, thetwo discs being fixed together at their outer peripheries. The seconddisc is also formed with a spiral slot similar to that of the firstdisc. Such a structure may be used as a permanent elastic,power-transmitting coupling between two shafts.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to theannexed drawing which shows in a schematical manner two examples ofapplication of the new element.

FIG. I illustrates the plateor disc-shaped element according to theinvention, as seen in a plan view, while FIG. 2 is a sectional view of apower transmission incorporating a coupling in which the new element isused.

FIG. 3 shows in a view, like FIG. 1, a plate or discshaped element whichis intended for use in a permanent connection between two portions ofdrive shaft. This application of the invention is .shown in FIG. 4,again in a sectional view.

Turning first to FIG. 1, a steel disc 1 is provided with tric motor oranother motor. The shaft 4 can be fixed within the socket 3 inconventional ,way by means of a screwbolt 5. Onto the periphery of theopposite face of the disc 1 is welded a steel sheet plate 6 v The nowdescribed assembly is intended for cooperation with a steel disc 8 whichis provided with a friction coating 7. To disc 8 is also affixed asocket 9 at the center thereof and into the socket extends shaft 10which is co-directional and co-axial with shaft 4. The assembly whichcomprises the disc 8 may be moved to and fro in the direction of thearrow x.

It is assumed that the shaft 4 is positively driven and accordingly thedisc 1 performs the same rotatory movement. If the disc 8 by whateverconventional means is brought to contact with its friction coated facethe face of disc I, (i.e. the plate 6), the disc 8 and accordingly theshaft 10 will be taken along and will be imparted the same rotatorymovement as is imparted to shaft 4.

There are already known various kinds of elastic couplings which allserve the purpose of cushioning the shock which is imparted to a machineby the drive thereof when the latter is put into operation. The abruptstart of a machinehas undesirable effects and contributes very much tothe wear and tear thereof. This is a well known fact and a great numberof elastic coupling members are known in order to absorb and cushion theabrupt shock. The new coupling serves the same purpose: when the disc 1is put into rotation tor.- sion acts thereon and the spirally cut slotslightly narrows or enlarges, depending upon the direction ofrotaf-tion. Thus the torsion acting on disc 1 absorbs the initial shockimparted to the coupling when the set into motion abruptly.

In the example according to FIG. 3 and 4 the new element comprises twodiscs which are united by welding face to face along their outerperipheries. The composite disc is designated by the numeral 12. Beforeuniting .the two discs by means of a w eld at 13 (see FIG. 4), jntooneof the disc s a-spiral slot 15 has been cut which is shown in FIG. 3 infull line, while in the second disc .a spiral slot 16 is cut. Thislatteris shown in a broken line. As can be seen in FIG. 3 the spirals l5 and16 may .extend in opposite directions.

Turning now to FIG. 4 the two discs forming the assembly 12 are providedwith sockets numbered 17 and 18, as, in the case already described and adrive shaft composed of two portions 19 and 20, each of which enters therespective sockets l7 and 18, is provided. Thus in this case, theconnection is a permanent one (in conrnotor is tradistinction to thereleasable couplings in FIGS. 1 and a spirally cut slot 2 which extendsfrom a point a near v the periphery of the disc to a point b nearthecenter thereof. Slot 2 is formed through disc 2 from one face to theopposite face thereof, and extends in the form of a spiral continuouslyand uniformly increasingin size around the disc. The use of such anelement will become clear from the following description of FIG. 2. Thedisc 1 with the slot 2 cut therein forms part of a coupling. To thedisc, at one side thereof, is fixedlyattached by welding or otherwiseasocket member 3'into which extends a shaft 4 which maybe a shaftofanelec- 2). However, the function of the new element is similar. Wheneverthe motordriving the shaft is set in motion, the abrupt and shocklikestart imparted to the respective, driven machine part is obviated, sincesuch shock is absorbed or at least cushioned by the element constitutedby the assembly of discs I2.

It should be understood that the invention is not restricted to the two'examples shown. As has already been mentioned, the kind of couplings,i.e., where the invention. is applied to couplings may be different.

The slots (2,15, 16) have been shown and described as having beencut ina direction normal to the face of the respective disc (1, 12). It wouldbe within the scope of the invention to make the slots oblique to therespec- .tive face.

Furthermore, more than one spiral slot maybe provided, thereby makingthe new element even softer".

The new element may be made of steel, phospher-- bronze or any othermaterial of which such machine'elements are conventionally made.

I claim:

1. An elastic power-transmitting coupling, comprising a disc having aspiral slot formed therethrough from one face to the opposite facethereof and extending around the disc starting from a point adjacent itscenter and terminating at a point adjacent its outer periphery, a plateof the same shape as said disc overlying one face thereof and fixed toits outer periphery, and means for fixing the center of the oppositeface of the disc to a shaft, said disc and plate constituting oneelement of a clutch connectable to a second shaft to effect thetransmission of rotary movement between the two shafts, the shocksoccurring upon the transmission of said rotary movement causing thespiral slot to change in width whereby said shocks are cushioned.

2. A coupling as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second discfixed to the second shaft, at least one of said discs carrying frictionmaterial for effecting a friction coupling therebetween.

3. An elastic power-transmitting coupling, comprising a disc having aslot formed therethrough from one face to the opposite face thereof,said slot extending in the form of a spiral continuously and uniformlyincreasing in size around said disc starting from a point adjacent itscenter and terminating at a point adjacent its outer periphery, andmeans for fixing said disc at its center to a shaft, said disc beingconnectable to a second shaft to effect the transmission of rotarymovement between the two shafts, the shocks occurring upon thetransmission of said rotary movement causing said spiral slot toincrease or decrease in width,'depending upon the direction of theshock, whereby the shocks are cushioned, said coupling furthercomprising a second disc fixed to the second shaft, said two discs beingfixed together at their outer peripheries.

4. A coupling as defined in claim 3, wherein said second disc is alsoformed with a spiral slot therethrough from one face to the oppositeface thereof, said latter slot also extending in the form of a spiralcontinuously and uniformly increasing in size around its respective discstarting at a point adjacent its center and terminating at a pointadjacent its outer periphery.

5. An elastic power-transmitting coupling capable of cushioning shocksupon transmission of rotary movement from one rotary shaft to an other,and further capable of accomodating substantial misalignment of the tworotary shafts, comprising: a first disc having a spiral slot formedtherethrough from one face to the opposite face thereof, and a seconddisc having a spiral slot formed therethrough from one face to theopposite face thereof, each of said slots being in the form of acontinuous spiral extending around its respective disc starting from apoint adjacent to the center of the disc and terminating at a pointadjacent to its outer periphery, said two discs being joined togetheralong their outer peripheries, the center of each of said discsincluding means for fixing thereto one of the rotary shaftsv 6. Acoupling as defined in claim 5, wherein said spiral slots are formed inopposite directions on the respective discs.

t It I

1. An elastic Power-transmitting coupling, comprising a disc having aspiral slot formed therethrough from one face to the opposite facethereof and extending around the disc starting from a point adjacent itscenter and terminating at a point adjacent its outer periphery, a plateof the same shape as said disc overlying one face thereof and fixed toits outer periphery, and means for fixing the center of the oppositeface of the disc to a shaft, said disc and plate constituting oneelement of a clutch connectable to a second shaft to effect thetransmission of rotary movement between the two shafts, the shocksoccurring upon the transmission of said rotary movement causing thespiral slot to change in width whereby said shocks are cushioned.
 2. Acoupling as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second disc fixedto the second shaft, at least one of said discs carrying frictionmaterial for effecting a friction coupling therebetween.
 3. An elasticpower-transmitting coupling, comprising a disc having a slot formedtherethrough from one face to the opposite face thereof, said slotextending in the form of a spiral continuously and uniformly increasingin size around said disc starting from a point adjacent its center andterminating at a point adjacent its outer periphery, and means forfixing said disc at its center to a shaft, said disc being connectableto a second shaft to effect the transmission of rotary movement betweenthe two shafts, the shocks occurring upon the transmission of saidrotary movement causing said spiral slot to increase or decrease inwidth, depending upon the direction of the shock, whereby the shocks arecushioned, said coupling further comprising a second disc fixed to thesecond shaft, said two discs being fixed together at their outerperipheries.
 4. A coupling as defined in claim 3, wherein said seconddisc is also formed with a spiral slot therethrough from one face to theopposite face thereof, said latter slot also extending in the form of aspiral continuously and uniformly increasing in size around itsrespective disc starting at a point adjacent its center and terminatingat a point adjacent its outer periphery.
 5. An elasticpower-transmitting coupling capable of cushioning shocks upontransmission of rotary movement from one rotary shaft to an other, andfurther capable of accomodating substantial misalignment of the tworotary shafts, comprising: a first disc having a spiral slot formedtherethrough from one face to the opposite face thereof, and a seconddisc having a spiral slot formed therethrough from one face to theopposite face thereof, each of said slots being in the form of acontinuous spiral extending around its respective disc starting from apoint adjacent to the center of the disc and terminating at a pointadjacent to its outer periphery, said two discs being joined togetheralong their outer peripheries, the center of each of said discsincluding means for fixing thereto one of the rotary shafts.
 6. Acoupling as defined in claim 5, wherein said spiral slots are formed inopposite directions on the respective discs.